The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 22, 1998
Filed:
Oct. 11, 1996
Winfield R Matsler, Belleville, IL (US);
Other;
Abstract
A stable and highly maneuverable lighter-than-air aircraft is provided. The aircraft includes a body portion which is supported beneath a balloon portion by a stem or axle. The balloon is fillable with a lighter-than-air gas and is sized to accept sufficient amounts of gas to make the aircraft buoyant. The balloon portion is rotationally fixed to the axle and the axle is rotationally journaled in the body. Thus, the balloon portion can rotate relative to the body portion and the body can selectively be rotated relative to the axle. A motor is housed in the body portion and is operable to propel the aircraft in a desired direction. The aircraft is operated such that the balloon portion rotates above the body portion without rotating the body portion. The rotation of the balloon portion provides stability to the aircraft and the ability for the body portion to rotate about the axle enables the aircraft to be highly maneuverable.